Many buildings are formed of concrete poured at the job site to provide the needed posts and beams. This requires multiple forms at the job site and also a substantial delay in the erection of the building inasmuch as the large amount of concrete being poured must be allowed to set a predetermined extent before additional columns and beams can be supported thereon. No satisfactory method has been proposed heretofore utilizing preformed posts and beams.
A difficult problem arises when an architect wishes to join preformed posts and beams of different dimensions. The specific size of the beams is governed by the length of the span, the load to be carried per square foot and other similar factors peculiar to the particular building being designed. In a building poured at the job site, the concrete forms can be custom made to provide a variety of joints. However, this flexibility has not previously been available for buildings constructed of preformed posts and beams. The applicant's structural frame provides this flexibility to an architect.
Also in the past it has been necessary to place preformed beams in overlapping relationship to their respective supporting posts. When buildings are of low height but must carry a heavy load per square foot of floor space, then it would be advantageous to place the beams in such an overlapping relationship. However, when buildings are to be tall in height and perhaps narrow in width, then it is advantageous to place the beams in a position where the end of the beam is in line with the outside face of the post. This permits successive posts to be formed into a unitary full size column for its entire length thereby giving greater resistance to wind stresses and earth tremors. This invention provides a structure in which the posts are formed into a column having its full size throughout its entire length.
One object of the invention is to provide for the erection of concrete buildings with substnatially 95% of the concrete, other than the foundation piers, required for completing the framework to be poured off the job site in forms that can be reused and with only a minimum amount of concrete poured at the job site.
Another object of the invention is to provide for the convenient joining of various size beams over a common post to combine the economy of preformed construction with flexibility of design.